Galaxy NGC 4236
History
On 6 April 1793 the German-British astronomer William Herschel discovered a «very large nebula» which he cataloged as V 51 and noted: «Very faint, much extended 70° north preceding, south following, about 25' long, and losing itself imperceptibly, about 6 or 7' broad.» [465] His son John observed it during his sweep number 377 on 28 October 1831 and noted: «Immensely large; very faint; much extended; very gradually brighter in the middle; it fills more than a field, but is hardly distinguishable. Hazy.» [466] John Dreyer added the nebula as NGC 4236 to his «New General Catqlogue» [313]
Physical Properties
NGC 4236 is a barred spiral galaxy and one of at least 34 gravitationally bound galaxies in the Ursa Major galaxy group.
| Name | RA | Dec | Type | bMag | vMag | B-V | SB | Dim | PA | z | MD | Dreyer Description | Identification, Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 4236 1 | 12 16 43.3 | +69 27 49 | Gx (SBdm) | 10.1 | 9.6 | 0.5 | 15.0 | 21.9 × 7.2 | 162 | 0.000000 | 4.260 | vF, eL, mE 160° ±, vgbM | WH V 51; h 1163; GC 2825; UGC 7306; MCG 12-12-4; CGCG 335-8; KARA 523; IRAS 12140+6947 |
| NGC 4236 2 | 12 16 43.5 | +69 27 36 | Gx (Irr) | 15.7 | 15.1 | 0.6 | 12.9 | 0.5 × 0.3 | 160 | -0.000020 | 4.410 | vF, eL, mE 160° ±, vgbM | WH V 51; h 1163; GC 2825; 7ZW 446 |
Finder Chart
The galaxy NGC 4236 is located in the constellation Draco. The best viewing time is January to December when it is highest at night.
